Method for transmission and reception in parallel on dual channels, and apparatus

1. A method for transmission and reception in parallel on dual channels, wherein the method comprises:

determining, by an access point (AP), a first transmission duration of a first channel data packet transmitted on a first channel when detecting that the first channel is occupied by carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) contention, wherein when the first channel is used to transmit uplink data, determining the first transmission duration of the first channel data packet transmitted on the first channel comprises obtaining the first transmission duration of the first channel data packet from transmission information when the access point detects that there is transmission information comprising transmission duration before the first channel data packet is transmitted, and wherein determining the transmission duration comprises parsing preamble information of a first channel data packet to obtain the first transmission duration of the first channel data packet from the preamble information when the access point detects that there is no transmission information comprising transmission duration of a data packet before the first channel data packet is transmitted;

determining, by a clear channel assessment (CCA) detector, that a second channel is idle, wherein the second channel is used to transmit a second channel data packet, and wherein a transmission direction of the second channel data packet is opposite a transmission direction of the first channel data packet;

determining, using the first transmission duration, a second transmission duration corresponding to the second channel data packet; and

transmitting the second channel data packet on the second channel according to the second transmission duration, wherein an end time of transmission of the second channel data packet is not later than an end time of transmission of the first channel data packet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, using the first transmission duration, the second transmission duration corresponding to the second channel data packet comprises determining that the second transmission duration is a first remaining duration after a duration occupied by parsing the preamble information is subtracted from the first transmission duration when the AP does not obtain the first transmission duration before the first channel initiates uplink transmission.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, using the first transmission duration, the second transmission duration corresponding to the second channel data packet comprises determining that the second transmission duration is a second remaining duration after the duration occupied by parsing the preamble information and a duration occupied by CCA detection are subtracted from the first transmission duration when the AP does not obtain the first transmission duration before the first channel initiates uplink transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, using the first transmission duration, the second transmission duration corresponding to the second channel data packet comprises determining that the second transmission duration is the same as the first transmission duration when the AP obtains the first transmission duration before the first channel initiates uplink transmission.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, using the first transmission duration, the second transmission duration corresponding to the second channel data packet comprises determining that the second transmission duration is a third remaining duration after the duration occupied by the CCA detection is subtracted from the first transmission duration when the AP obtains the first transmission duration before the first channel initiates uplink transmission.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein when the second channel data packet is a CSMA data packet, before transmitting the second channel data packet on the second channel according to the second transmission duration, the method further comprises:

initiating a backoff operation; and

transmitting the second channel data packet on the second channel according to the second transmission duration when the backoff operation is finished, and

wherein a duration of transmission of the second channel data packet is a fourth remaining duration after duration occupied by the backoff operation is subtracted from the second transmission duration.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein in a WLAN system, the AP has m transmit paths and n receive paths, wherein m is a maximum quantity of transmit paths of the AP, wherein n is a maximum quantity of receive paths of the AP, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by the AP, an uplink transmission packet on the first channel using n−1 receive paths; and

sending a downlink transmission packet on the second channel using the m transmit paths, and wherein a sum of a quantity of transmit paths and a quantity of receive paths that are simultaneously used on the first channel and the second channel is greater than a value m and a value of n.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the first channel is used to transmit downlink data, and when the AP schedules the second channel for uplink transmission, determining, using the first transmission duration, the second transmission duration of the second channel data packet comprises determining that the second transmission duration is a remaining duration after a duration occupied by the AP to schedule the second channel and a duration occupied by an inter-frame interval are subtracted from the first transmission duration.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein in a WLAN system, the AP has m transmit paths and n receive paths, wherein in is a maximum quantity of transmit paths of the AP, wherein n is a maximum quantity of receive paths of the AP, wherein the method comprises:

sending, by the AP, a downlink transmission packet on the first channel using m−1 transmit paths; and

simultaneously receiving an uplink transmission packet on the second channel using the n receive paths, and wherein a sum of a quantity of transmit paths and a quantity of receive paths that are simultaneously used on the first channel and the second channel is greater than a value of m and a value of n.

10. An access point, comprising:

a processor configured to:

determine a first transmission duration of a first channel data packet transmitted on a first channel when it is detected that the first channel is occupied by carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) contention;

perform clear channel assessment (CCA) detection to determine that a second channel is idle, wherein the second channel is used to transmit a second channel data packet, and wherein a transmission direction of the second channel data packet is opposite a transmission direction of the first channel data packet; and

determine, using the first transmission duration, a second transmission duration corresponding to the second channel data packet, wherein when the first channel is used to transmit downlink data and when the access, point schedules the second channel for plink transmission, the processor is configured to determine that the second transmission duration is a remaining duration after a duration occupied by the access point to schedule the second channel and a duration occupied by an inter-frame interval are subtracted from the first transmission duration; and

a transceiver coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the second channel data packet on the second channel according to the second transmission duration, wherein an end time of transmission of the second channel data packet is not later than an end time of transmission of the first channel data packet.

11. The access point of claim 10 , wherein when the first channel is used to transmit uplink data, the processor is configured to obtain the first transmission duration of the first channel data packet from transmission information when the processor detects that there is transmission information comprising transmission duration before the first channel data packet is transmitted.

12. The access point of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to parse preamble information of the first channel data packet to obtain the first transmission duration of the first channel data packet from the preamble information when the processor detects that there is no transmission information comprising transmission duration of a data packet before the first channel data packet is transmitted.

13. The access point of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the second transmission duration is a first remaining duration after duration occupied by parsing the preamble information is subtracted from the first transmission duration when the first transmission duration is not obtained before the first channel initiates uplink transmission.

14. The access point of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the second transmission duration is a second remaining duration after duration occupied by parsing the preamble information and duration occupied by the CCA detection are subtracted from the first transmission duration when the first transmission duration is not obtained before the first channel initiates uplink transmission.

15. The access point of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the second transmission duration is the same as the first transmission duration when the first transmission duration is obtained before the first channel initiates uplink transmission.

16. The access point of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the second transmission duration is a third remaining duration after duration occupied by the CCA detection is subtracted from the first transmission duration when the first transmission duration is obtained before the first channel initiates uplink transmission.

17. The access point of claim 13 , wherein when the second channel data packet is a CSMA data packet, the processor is further configured to:

initiate a backoff operation before the second channel data packet is transmitted on the second channel according to the second transmission duration; and

transmit the second channel data packet on the second channel according to the second transmission duration when the backoff operation is finished, and

wherein a duration of transmission of the second channel data packet is a fourth duration that remains after duration occupied by the backoff operation is subtracted from the second transmission duration.

18. A method for transmission and reception in parallel on dual channels, the method comprising:

determining, by an access point (AP), a first transmission duration of a first channel data packet transmitted on a first channel when detecting that the first channel is occupied by carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) contention;

determining, by a clear channel assessment (CCA) detector, that a second channel is idle, wherein the second channel is used to transmit a second channel data packet, and wherein a transmission direction of the second channel data packet is opposite a transmission direction of the first channel data packet;

determining, using the first transmission duration, a second transmission duration corresponding to the second channel data packet, wherein when the first channel is used to transmit downlink data, and when the AP schedules the second channel for uplink transmission, determining, using the first transmission duration, the second transmission duration of the second channel data packet comprises determining that the second transmission duration is a remaining duration after a duration occupied by the AP to schedule the second channel and a duration occupied by an inter-frame interval are subtracted from the first transmission duration; and

transmitting the second channel data packet on the second channel according to the second transmission duration, wherein an end time of transmission of the second channel data packet is not later than an end time of transmission of the first channel data packet.